I could write a whole essay on the gender dynamics and commentary within this book (and I probably will once I reread the whole section with Justine), but I also do wanna point out the very obvious queer-coding in this story. Besides everything with Walton and Clerval (is Walton even subtext though?), I also just think it’s an important part of Victor’s character. I’m not sure if this part is intentional, but Victor’s obsession with anatomy (digging up graves and going through charnel houses) and his obsession with creating the most perfect and beautiful (male) creature feels very reminiscent to me of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man and the renaissance obsession with capturing the idealized male form. However, I do think the rest of it is all definitely intentional considering Mary, Percy, and Byron were all queer and Percy even translated Plato’s Symposium for a wider audience.